Thursday, March 3, 2011

Our deacons are going through a book together and it discusses the importance journaling. Let me be the first to say that for 7 years I have been journaling, but many of my entries through the years begin like this, “I have to be the worse journal writer in the world!” I am so sporadic, and I don’t want to be. It is so easy to forget, but I long to do it not only because it chronicles my spiritual walk and helps me look back at all the things God teaches me, but it also helps me think through things and ask my heart tough questions. I have given instructions to my wife as to where to find my journal entries are so that, when I go home to glory, I want my boys to see my struggles and victories and know my thought process and Biblical thinking. I also journal great memories, below is one such recorded about Caleb when he was 5 years old.

I was taking the boys to school and they were in the garage getting shoes on. I must have rushed out the door, simply because I was in a hurry, as the garage door opened. Caleb thought, at the speed that I rushed out, that it must mean he was in trouble. So he said: “Josh pushed the garage door button” I said: “Let’s just hurry boys.” Well in the mean time Josh made the statement that He didn’t open the garage door, Caleb did. Well, none of this hit me until we all got in the car and I asked Caleb if he lied to me. He paused, and then with frustration, I said: “Did you lie to me Caleb?” (Well as a foot note; he has had an ear infection so I guess he decided now was the time to play that card) and he said: “Well Daddy, I don’t know if I lied because my ear is hurting and I can’t hear myself talk so I don’t know what I said.” How original we can be when it comes to our own sin.

I say all this to show you the things both weighty and light hearted in my journal. But it is still so tough to do this consistently. However, a church member pointed me to this site http://ohlife.com/b If you go to this site, you can enter your e-mail and it will e-mail you everyday simply asking “how was your day?” You reply to the e-mail as long, or short, as you desire. The system then puts it in an electronic account, formats it, and dates it. I would encourage you to try it if you don’t have a consistent way to journal. Everyone has just a moment to respond to email, it does the filing for you, and it prompts you to remember how important this daily reflection is in our lives.